


Revelations

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-02
Updated: 2006-05-06
Packaged: 2018-08-16 04:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8086744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: A new visitor arrives on Enterprise with a surprising connection to one of the crew, causing Enterprise to embark on a new mission against an old and dangerous enemy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: This is my first fanfiction story, so i'd appreciate your reviews.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Enterprise - sadly. If I did it would definatly not have been cancelled after four seasons, it wouldn't have ended with that awful finale...continues ranting.  
  
Set after Demons and Terra Prime.  
  


* * *

Chapter 1

Weapons fire erupted around the facility, their target narrowly avoiding being hit. He knew he had to keep going otherwise they would capture him again, he had promised himself that was not going to happen- he would die before that. Looking down at his chest wound that was now spilling vital liquid, he knew that that could quite soon become a reality.

He stopped and peered round a corner, he saw only two guards- he could take them out he thought to himself, even in this state! He ran at them taking them by surprise and after a few swift actions, they were lying unconscious on the floor. Taking their weapons, he raced down the corridor, the pain in his chest being put to the back of his mind. He had to escape to reveal to everyone what he had found. He needed to protect his family, his people otherwise, the last 40 years had been for nothing!

Racking his brain in an attempt to remember where he was he realised he was getting closer to their shuttle bay, he could make it. That thought spurred him on as he passed through several passageways, the guards absent. He figured his earlier distraction had worked. Reaching his destination, he passed through the sliding metal doors, activated the shuttle bay doors and fired his weapon at the controls. They erupted in sparks, they were damaged enough to prevent anyone from stopping him. He then proceeded to climb into one of the smaller crafts and accessed the computer setting a flight plan taking him far away from the facility; he only hoped he had deactivated their weaponry.

Entering the blackness of deep space, he set the distress signal to activate when a â€˜friendlyâ€™ ship entered the vicinity and with his last ounce of strength placed himself in a healing trance, he only hoped someone would find himâ€¦. Before it was too late.

* * *

The flame flickered, illuminating the expressionless face of the Vulcan who sat before it. Taking a calming breath Tâ€™pol opened her eyes; her meditation completed for this evening and extinguished the candle. She rose from the spot on the floor and walked over to her desk, content to complete her outstanding work in an efficient Vulcan fashion. As she was about to sit down her com sounded, pushing the necessary buttons, she activated it and Captain Archerâ€™s voice met her ears.   
â€œGood evening Tâ€™pol, I hope I havenâ€™t disturbed youâ€

â€œNot at all captain, how can I help youâ€ she responded in a voice as monotone as ever.

â€œYour assistance is needed on the bridge; Iâ€™ll explain when you get here.â€

Acknowledging Tâ€™pol changed into something more suitable, she did not believe going to the bridge in her meditation clothes was entirely appropriate and within minutes she was on the bridge.

As she arrived she was met by the rest of the senior officers, Commander Tucker looking less than happy at having to get up at this late hour, but at least he is sleeping now she considered. It is a shame he does not require neuropressure anymore though, a small part of her mused as she walked over to the group. They were gathered around a station at the back of the bridge, the screen showed enterpriseâ€™s position relative to another object, a possible flight plan overlapped the two objects and other data flowed across the display. She received a nod from Archer, who began.

â€œApproximately 30 minutes ago we received a distress signal from an unknown vessel, not much smaller than our shuttle pods. As we are the only vessel in the vicinity it is up to us to provide assistance.â€

â€œDo we know who they are Capâ€™n?â€ asked Trip interested, Enterprise hadnâ€™t encountered any other ships or anything remotely interesting in the past month and the naturally curious engineer was, along with the rest of the crew getting bored.

â€œWe have no ideaâ€ responded Archer â€œIt appears the ship has been struck by weapons fire, however we scanned and there are no other ships in the vicinity.â€

â€œWhat would anyone be doing this far out, thereâ€™s nothing much of interest at all in this region, no habitable planets, no notably interesting phenomenonâ€ supplied Mayweather, asking the question that was on everyoneâ€™s minds.

â€œCaptain if I may suggest, I believe we should go on alert, it does sound rather suspicious and it could be a trap.â€ said Lieutenant Reed, the every pessimistic security officer. He had recently updated the weapons array and was eagerly awaiting testing it out, his love for blowing things up was common knowledge on the ship and had led to many jokes at his expense, the majority coming from one Trip Tucker.

â€œIn this case Iâ€™m inclined to agree,â€ replied Archer

â€œTâ€™pol I want you and Hoshi to work on getting more details, we should be arriving in 2 hours and I want as much information as possible.â€

Nodding everyone moved back to their respective stations, each preparing for their confrontation with the mysterious ship. Hoshi started analysing the distress signal, Tâ€™pol attempted to find where the ship had come from and Malcolm rechecked the targeting scanners controlling the phase cannons, â€˜well you canâ€™t be too carefulâ€™ he thought to himself.

Within 2 hours enterprise had arrived at their destination. During that time, the crew had found no new information about the ship or its passengers, nothing about its design or why it was so far out here. This had put Archer on edge. He couldnâ€™t put his finger on it but something just feltâ€¦off. Having learn to trust his instincts Archer ensured that he wasnâ€™t putting Enterprise into any unnecessary danger, taking longer scanning the region of space they were in and making sure no other ships were around that could creep up on them. Satisfied they were safe Archer instructed Hoshi to open a channel to the other ship.

â€œChannel open sir.â€

Nodding his thanks to his communications officer Archer spoke.

â€œThis is captain archer of the Starship Enterprise. We are responding to you distress signal can we be of assistance?â€

Archer waited for a response, Hoshi shook her head.

â€œI repeat, this is Captain Archer of the Starship Enterprise. We are responding to you distress signal can we be of assistance?â€

Again he received no response. Looking to Tâ€™pol, he awaited the Vulcanâ€™s scan of the ship.

â€œThere appears to be only one occupant of the pod.â€ she responded. Lifting an eyebrow she continued, â€œThey appear to be Vulcan.â€

â€œVulcan?â€ questioned Archer

â€œApparently so and their heart rate is extremely slow.â€ replied the science officer.

That grabbed Archerâ€™s attention. For the moment, he didnâ€™t care how the ship had got there or why. When a personâ€™s life was in danger the captain could be counted on to do everything in his power to save them, despite the species. â€œCould we dock with the craft?â€

â€œMy scans show there is too much damage.â€ was her reply

â€œCan we get a transporter lock?â€

â€œI believe so,â€ responded Tâ€™pol. That was all Archer needed

â€œBeam them up and have Phlox prepare for their arrival.â€

Nodding Tâ€™pol pressed a sequence of keys. â€œWhy isnâ€™t it working?â€ Archer questioned.

â€œThere is some sort of field around the craft. I hadnâ€™t detected it before; it is trying to prevent a lock.â€

â€œCan you break past it?â€

â€œI will try.â€ responded Tâ€™pol

After a few short minutes, the science officer had achieved her goal.

â€œTransporting.â€ said Tâ€™pol

â€œDo we have them?â€

â€œTransport successfulâ€

â€œGood work, Iâ€™ll be down in sickbay, Malcolm your with me, Tâ€™pol you have the bridge.â€ said Archer as he headed towards the lift.

The doors to sickbay opened as Captain Archer strode in, walking immediately to Phlox who was scanning their mysterious visitor, who lay flat out on one of Sickbays beds. The Vulcan wore dark tatty clothing, which stuck to his frame highlighting his slightly muscular physique. There was a wound on his chest, which looked like it had previously healed and the surrounding fabric appeared charred. His hair was greying and Archer noticed several long scars swirled around his arm; it was evident that the Vulcan had clearly seen action.

â€œDoctor Report.â€ said Archer more intrigued than ever.

â€œOh Captain Iâ€™m glad youâ€™re hereâ€ replied Phlox looking up from his scanner.

â€œIt appears this Vulcan male is in a healing trance, nothing out of the ordinary for the species.â€ Archer looked at Phlox with a vacant look in his eyes

â€œIt allows them to conserve energy and helps to heal any injuries they sustain.â€ Phlox supplied. â€œDid you notice the wound on his chest?â€ Archer nodded. â€œFor many other species Denoblian and Human included that wound would have no doubt been fatal but the healing trance allowed this Vulcan to, in essence shut down all other functions and concentrate on healing, it is quite an effective survival instinct, but only used in extreme cases.â€

â€œIs he ok now?â€ inquired Archer, he briefly remembered what the Doctor had been talking about thanks to the time he had had Surakâ€™s Katra contained within him.

â€œMy scans show that heâ€™s more or less recovered but they also show some anomalies in his bio readings which are most unusual. In addition, I have found numerous scars on his body, many of which have healed but are consistent with torture. Other than that he is suffering quite severe malnutrition and dehydration, which I am trying to remedyâ€

That peaked Archers interest â€œtorture?â€ Unusual bio readings?â€ This made Archers mind swarm with different possibilities. â€œCan you wake him up Dr?â€ he inquired

â€œI believe so captain, however I would like to wait a few hours to stabilise his readings, thereâ€™s no knowing how long he was in that craft but his body has suffered because of it.â€

â€œVery wellâ€ said Archer â€œContact me when the patients awakes,â€ with that the Captain left sickbay with even more questions as to who their strange visitor was and where they had come from.

Reaching the bridge the captain instructed Tâ€™pol and Commander Tucker to investigate the ship, which by now had been towed into the launch bay.

â€œYou ever seen this technology before Tâ€™pol?â€ asked Commander â€˜Tripâ€™ Tucker as he peered into the interior. The ship wasnâ€™t very eye catching or interesting at all. The interior was entirely grey, with the exception of the occasional red or blue button found upon the key systems. The exterior appeared as if it had been through a war. The rear of the pod had weapon marks scattered around it and several small dentâ€™s littered the front of the craft.

â€œIt seems partially similar to an obsolete Vulcan model that went out of service decades ago.â€ Tâ€™pol replied

Climbing into the interior, which was obviously not built for that many people and looked as if it would fall apart at any time, the Commanders started investigating, trying in vain to access the computer core, which appeared to have several layers of encryption. Keeping whatever information it contained away from prying eyes.

Trip shifted around trying to get comfortable and bumped into the young Vulcan in the process. â€œHow someone could spend more than a day in here beats me. Why would the Vulcanâ€™s build something so small anyway?â€ Trip asked

â€œI believe it was built for speed and manoeuvrability, not comfort.â€ replied Tâ€™pol, reaching over the commander and pressing a series of buttons on a console behind him, the small seat she was leaning on chose that moment to break and she was sent falling, not so gracefully into the engineer.

â€œComfy there Tâ€™pol?â€ Trip smirked looking down on her.

Tâ€˜pol raised an eyebrow, â€œExtremely.â€ She retorted. Tripâ€™s sarcasm and sense of humour had been rubbing off on her since the incident with the Orions, she was only using it on the odd occasion and usually just with Trip but she found itâ€¦. interesting.

Trip helped her to sit up and for the next few hours, the commanders worked effortlessly with each other, occasionally engaging in conversation and making some progress with the decryption of the computer core, all the while being constantly aware of the other personâ€™s closeness.

â€œI talked to my parentâ€™s last night.â€ said Trip â€œThey asked about how you were, since you knowâ€.

Trip of course was referring to the incident that had happened several months ago when a rebel group of humans who had stolen their genetic material and produced a human Vulcan offspring, Elizabeth who had later died. Trip still found it hard to think about her but had been getting better, he hoped that one day he and Tâ€™pol could have another child together, one that would be healthy and not the product of flawed genetic engineering, after all it was possible- look at Lorian. That thought brought a smile to Tripâ€™s face and even though he and Tâ€™pol werenâ€™t in a relationship, there were feelings there. Ones he had decided that he needed to act on.

â€œAre they well?â€ Tâ€™polâ€™s voice brought him out of his musings

â€œWhat?â€ responded Trip

â€œYour parents are they well?â€ asked Tâ€™pol

â€œOh, yes,â€ replied Trip â€œI told them that you and I were both getting better sinceâ€¦â€

Trip left the answer hanging and Tâ€™pol satisfied with his answer nodded and continued with her work. It had been difficult for her too dealing with Elizabeth, and added to that the recent death of her mother; Trip had helped a great deal. She did not know what she would have done without his support.

The interior of the ship lapsed into silence once again. Trip took a deep breath, his heart pounding. He started the conversation that he had been going over in his head for weeks, he had put it off long enough; he needed to get it off his chest. â€œTâ€™pol can I talk to you about us?â€â€¦..


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Tâ€™pol turned around and met his eyes. She was not surprised that this conversation had come up. She could feel his nervousness through their bond and even though she had considered a conversation similar to this herself, she had still not come up with a definite answer.

â€œTripâ€¦â€ Tâ€™pol began

Trip held up his hand to silence her â€œTâ€™pol please just let me say this and then you can say or do whatever you want, just let me finish, please. I need to say this.â€

Trip's voice quivered slightly as he spoke, â€œI know weâ€™ve been through a lot together and I donâ€™t know what you want in regards to us, but here goes. Tâ€™pol I love you, and I want us to be together. The last few months have only stood to reinforce that and I do not care what people will think, if people canâ€™t accept it then screw them! You and I are the only ones this concerns. I want us to be together, and I hope you do to.

Tâ€™pol didnâ€™t know what to say. She was aware that the engineer had feelings for her and if she had to admit it she, a Vulcan had feelings for him too. However, she had not realised the extent of this humans emotions, and his words hadâ€¦ surprised her.

Trip looked at Tâ€™pol. In truth she didnâ€™t know what to say, declarations of love werenâ€™t regular occurrences for Vulcanâ€™s. What if they were together and then something happened and they separated. Would Trip move to Columbia again? Away from his friends, because of her. What would happen if anyone found out? Terra Prime would no doubt retaliate, would she be putting Trip and everyone else in danger?

Tâ€™pol hadnâ€™t responded for a minute or two, to Trip it had felt like hours had passed. After every silent second passed Tripâ€™s heart sank a little more. â€œTâ€™polâ€ Trip began again; â€œI didnâ€™t want to put pressure on youâ€ he paused as if to consider something.

â€œMaybe I shouldnâ€™t have said anything at all.â€ The young engineer said. He had always been like this, putting everyone elseâ€™s feelings before his own. He had done it when she had married Koss. Trip had stood by and supported her, even though it had nearly killed him. Now he was regretting ever saying anything. She would say no and then it would become uncomfortable between them.

Trip rose to leave, a defeated look on his face, and in that split second Tâ€™pol had made up her choice. She stood and raised her arm to stop him, he turned, his eyes glistening with unshed tears and she leaned forward to kiss him, just as the comm sounded.

â€œTrip, Tâ€™pol I hope Iâ€™m not disturbing you.â€ If Tâ€™pol had been human she would have frowned in annoyance but she was Vulcan and so showed no sign of anger at getting disturbed at such an inconvenient time, Trip however was and his irritation was evident on his face.

â€œWeâ€™re here Capâ€™n what can we do for youâ€ Trip inquired, not taking his eyes off Tâ€™pol, who was mere inches from him.

â€œI was wondering if you had found anything? Our visitor should be waking up shortly and I need as much information as possible.â€ Archer responded.

â€œWe should be finished here within a matter of minuteâ€™s Captain. We will report to the bridge and update you on our progressâ€ Tâ€™pol interjected

â€œOk, good work you twoâ€ with that Archer shut off the comm.

Tripâ€™s eyes found Tâ€™polâ€™s, almost scared to venture the question he asked â€œDoes this mean?â€¦.â€ in response Tâ€™pol nodded

â€œWe should continue this later.â€ said Tâ€™pol â€œSomewhere we canâ€™t be interrupted,â€ she continued raising an elegant eyebrow.

Trip grinned; at that very moment he didnâ€™t think he could be much happier. He climbed out of the craft smiling so much so he thought he could give Phlox a run for his money.

The two quickly arrived on the bridge looking for their commanding officer.

â€œThe captain just got a call from Phlox, it seems the patient woke up early, the Captain and Lieutenant Reed just left.â€ said Hoshi who was left in charge of the bridge. Hoshi had hoped to have gone with them, perhaps the Vulcan couldnâ€™t speak English and needed a translator, but that had been why the universal translators had been taken. She thought back to around five years ago. If this had happened back then she would have done anything to avoid meeting their new, potentially dangerous â€˜guestâ€™. But now she was eager to go! It had surprised her how much she had changed in the last few years, she had grown into a stronger and more confident person- joining Enterprise had been the best thing she had ever done.

Nodding to Ensign Sato Tâ€™pol walked over to her station, Trip close behind. At least this way they could finish decrypting the information before the captain arrived, as whoever had encrypted the data had certainly done a good job.

Down in sickbay the mysterious Vulcan male was finally regaining consciousness. Lieutenant Reed was close by, a phase pistol gripped in hand. Archer didnâ€™t want the first images when the Vulcan awoke to be of an armed security officer, but past experiences had taught Archer to air on the side of caution.

The Vulcanâ€™s eyes flew open, he squinted around the room- his vision was slightly blurred. His eyes settled on several cages, full of different species of animals. â€˜Where am I this time.â€™ He thought to himself. His hands came up to the wound on his chest and he felt to see how badly he had been injured, the wound was healed but had also left a permanent reminder, a large, unattractive scar. â€˜One more to go along with the othersâ€™, the Vulcan considered grimly. He looked once more at his surroundings, only now aware of the humans that stood before him, one with a weapon pointed at him.

'Where am I?' he asked in Vulcan, his mother tongue was being used with no thought to his audience, he then realised he was talking to Humans and so transferred to English.

â€œWhere am I?â€ He asked again. This time in English.

â€œYou are aboard the Earth Starship Enterprise, we received you distress signal. You are currently in our sickbay. I am Captain Archerâ€.

Grabbing the side of the bed the Vulcan attempted to sit up â€œI am afraid that would be unwiseâ€ advised Phlox.

â€œIâ€™ve suffered through worseâ€ responded the Vulcan attaining an upright position and standing up, he looked unsteady on his feet but took a step forward.

â€œI am afraid I canâ€™t let you go anywhereâ€ said Archer â€œI would also like to ask you some questions, such as why you were drifting this far out, what type of ship you have and where you got your injuries from.â€

â€œAll in good time.â€ responded the Vulcan, â€œbut first let me introduce myself. I am called Sovek â€ he took a breath, trying to clear his pounding head. â€œI have come with a warning for both of our people. At this very moment a species is preparing an all out war with Earth and Vulcan, one that could kill billions. I assume you have heard of the Romulans.â€

Captain Archerâ€™s head snapped up to the Vulcanâ€™s â€œDid you say the Romulans?â€

â€œIndeed I did captain. Now I believe it would be best if you gathered your senior staff together, what I have to say will no doubt involve them and I would prefer not to explain this again.â€

Before Archer could respond Sovek walked towards sickbayâ€™s doors. â€œSir?â€ inquired Reed.

â€œI think we need to hear what he has to say Malcolm. Lead him to the conference room, Iâ€˜ll be there shortlyâ€.

Nodding, the chief of security escorted the Vulcan out of Sickbay and along the corridors. Malcolm was happy to walk in silence and he had expected the Vulcan would be to, he was caught off guard however when Sovek began talking.

â€œHow long has this ship been exploring deep space, Malcolm was it? Because I must say it looks quite impressiveâ€ enquired Sovek. His vision had cleared and he was feeling less and less disorientated. He had always found engaging in conversation put many species, including Humans at ease. It also meant he could find out more information about Enterprise, he disliked being in an unknown situation, with hardly any information about where he was or what sort of people he was with. If he had to admit it he also didnâ€™t mind casually conversing with other species, unlike other Vulcanâ€™s who deemed it unnecessary Sovek had found it brought people to trust more and sometimes worked in his favour. People were more likely to reveal information in what they believed idle conversation. He also found it moreâ€¦..enjoyable.

Malcolm was surprised to say the least; it was not often Vulcanâ€™s engaged in â€˜small talkâ€™, let alone complemented humans on their skills or inquired about Earthâ€™s progress. â€œItâ€™s been about 5 years now and she is quite impressive isnâ€™t she.â€ responded Reed. Their conversationâ€™s continued like this to the conference room, gaining a few odd stares on their way. Malcolm did not know what it was but for some reason he liked this Vulcan, that still didnâ€™t mean he trusted him though!

Arriving at the conference room were all of the senior officers, with the exception of Tâ€™pol who was just finishing with the decryption. They took their seats all eyes on their new guest who was seated next to Captain Archer. â€œIs this everyone?â€ asked Sovek. Like any Vulcan he wanted to get straight to the issue at hand. Enough time had been wasted when he was in his ship, he needed to inform the humans what he had found, and then they could act.

â€œWe are just waiting for our science officer she should be here shortly.â€ responded Archer. â€œLet me introduce you to my other officers while we wait. This is commander â€˜Tripâ€™ Tucker my chief engineer, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, my security officer who you have already met, my communications officer Ensign Hoshi Sato, my Pilot Travis Mayweather.â€

Just as he said this the doors opened, looking around he saw his second in command, â€œAnd my science officerâ€¦.â€

â€œTâ€™pol?â€ the Vulcan male answered before Archer.

Tâ€™pol looked over to where the voice had come from, the padd in her hand dropped to the floor.

â€œIs that really you? I believed I would never see you againâ€ said Sovek all eyes were drawn to their visitor.

â€œDo you two know each other?â€ Archer asked

Instead of answering Sovek took several steps forward towards Tâ€™pol, who in turn took a few steps backwards.

â€œImpossible.â€ Tâ€™pol whispered, â€œYour dead!â€

To any outsider it would have appeared that Tâ€™pol was being a model Vulcan, no emotions evident on her face but for the crew of enterprise who had spent the last five years with her they could identify the small indications that showed an inner battle of emotions raging within. It was even more pronounced for Trip who thanks to the bond they shared could feel the torrents of confusion, uncertainty and anger? Wash over him. He rose and walked over to Tâ€™pol putting him in a position between her and their visitor.

â€œAre you ok?â€ he asked her. A slight nod was his only acknowledgement.

â€œWho are you and how do you know Tâ€™polâ€ he demanded wanting to spare Tâ€˜pol any more distress.

The answer he received was not what he, or anyone else for that matter expected, â€œIâ€™m her Father.â€

At that very moment the tension in the room increased dramatically, everyone looked to Tâ€™pol for conformation. â€œYou are not my father.â€ she shot back. â€œMy father died years ago.â€ She glanced at Captain Archer â€œMay I be excused?â€ he nodded in response with that she left the room Trip following a few moments later. The remaining members of the room were unsure of what to do next.

â€œI think you better explain whatâ€™s going on.â€ said Archer. â€œAnd I want the truthâ€.


	3. Chapter 3

Tâ€™pol moved quickly through enterpriseâ€™s corridors. Oblivious to her surroundings her only goal to get to her quarters, reaching them finally she keyed in her code and stepped inside. She sank to the floor in front of her meditation candle, left there from earlier on. What was she suppose to think? It could not possibly be her father. He had died, heroically by all accounts over 40 years ago and now he was back from the dead? No! It had to be a trick, she would had of heard from her father before now if he had been alive, she would have heard something, anything.

Her door buzzed interrupting her thought pattern; she knew who it would be. â€œEnterâ€ she called out and Trip entered.

â€œHey, I came to see how your doing.â€ Unsure of how to continue he sat down next to her, their shoulders touching. â€œIs it really true what that guy said about being you father?â€

Tâ€™pol shook her head â€œMy father died forty five years ago, the man we met with is an impostor.â€

Being in such close proximity with Tâ€™pol trip could sense her uncertainty even more, he put his arms around her and she relaxed, ever so slightly in his embrace.

â€œTâ€™pol, have you considered that it might actually be true?â€

In truth she had briefly considered this but she could find no logic in why her father would have remained hidden for so long; if she had to admit it to herself, a part of her wanted it to be a lie. As a child she had idolised her father as much as any Vulcan could and he being alive now, lying to her and everyone else would tarnish the respect and fond memories she had of him.

As if reading her thoughts Trip whispered to her â€œHe could have had a genuine reason why he has kept hidden for so long.â€ That did seem logical she thought, but what was so serious that he could not tell his own family that he was alive?

â€œYou know youâ€™ve got a chance many people would do anything for, youâ€™ve got another chance Tâ€™pol.â€ she had not considered that at all. What if he was telling the truth, she would have her father back again. Trip was right she had to find out if he was her father.

â€œWe should go to Phlox and get him to perform a DNA testâ€ said Trip â€œThat should confirm whether Sovek is just who he claims to be.â€ Trip stood and helped Tâ€™pol up.

â€œAre you sure youâ€™re ok.â€ the engineer asked again

â€œIâ€™m fine, and thank you for your help Trip.â€

â€œAny timeâ€ he grinned as they walked out of her quarters, closer to each other than was necessary.

When the two arrived at sickbay, it appeared the Captain had had the same idea about a DNA test, Phlox was just finishing his final analysis on his patient as Trip and Tâ€™pol arrived, drawing everyoneâ€™s attention. It appeared the rest of the senior staff were not needed elsewhere and were happy to find out more information on their new â€˜guest.â€™ Tâ€™pol avoided looking at Sovek so instead she focused her attention on the medical screen which was displaying phloxâ€™s readingâ€™s. Travis spoke first

â€œWhat does all that mean?â€ he said indicating to the data.

Tâ€™polâ€™s eyes flew from side to side assimilating the information â€œIt means, Sovek was telling the truth, he is my father.â€â€¦..

Captain Archer did not think he could take much more. After the shocking revelation that Earth and Vulcan were about to be attacked and then the revelation that the informant was Tâ€™polâ€™s apparently dead father he didnâ€™t know what to think. All he wanted now was answers and he was for sure going to do anything to get them. Sovek had refused to say anything after Tâ€™pol had left instead saying that he would only reveal what was going on with her present. Archer thought that was fair, after all he deserved a chance to explain why he had lied to his daughter for so many years, right? But now Tâ€™pol was here and he was going to get answers.

â€œOk Sovek now we have confirmed who you are and Tâ€™polâ€™s here I want to know everything.â€

â€œI believe that is reasonable captain,â€ responded Sovek trying in vain to catch his daughters attention and failing. â€œI believe I should start at the beginning.â€

He stood, his hands graspedbehind his back; a regular Vulcan stance. â€œAround fifty years ago I worked in the ministry of security. It was my job to, how do you put it, do my governments dirty work. This involved the usual things you would expect, classified missions, capturing convicts, but overall securing Vulcan and therefore my familyâ€™s safety.â€ With that he once again looked over to Tâ€™pol and their eyes briefly met.

â€œOn one mission which was particularly dangerous I discovered information which I wasnâ€™t expected to find. This information exposed several members of the high command and their dealings with a species who I later found to be the Romulans.â€ Sovek considered for a moment what would have happened if he had never gone on that mission, how different his life would have been. He wouldn't have been hunted, he wouldn't have had to give up his entire life, his family.

Sovek's revelation came as a huge shock to the Enterprise staff. â€œWhat would Vulcan have to gain from dealing with the Romulans?â€ asked Archer.

â€œI will get to that later captain. When I discovered this information, it became apparent that there was a lot more to the story. In the months that followed, I took it upon myself to carry out some independent research, which was helped by the fact that I was a ranking member of the ministry of security. I soon found that the extent of betrayal ran much further than I ever expected and it was then that I realised me and my family were in a lot of danger.â€ Taking a deep breath, he continued

â€œI couldnâ€™t put them in danger because of me. They would be used against me and I couldnâ€™t reveal what I had found as there was more that needed to be discovered so I realised the only way to accomplish both was to fake my own death. At that time there was only one other person who I trusted enough to reveal what I had found. His name was Soval. He too had worked at the ministry.â€

â€œWait, ambassador Soval helped to fake your death?â€ said Trip disbelievingly

â€œAmbassador?â€ said Sovek â€˜It seems he has done quite well for himself in my absence.â€™ he mused. â€œAnd in response to your question yes, he helped me.â€ pausing for a moment to consider how to go on Sovek continued.

â€œThe opportunity presented itself when Soval and I were both travelling close to an Earth shipping lane. We were both travelling home from a joint assignment when an Earth ship, it must not have been able to reach more than warp one point three was being attacked by pirates, trying to steal the vesselâ€™s cargo. The ship we were travelling on did not have that much fire power but it was enough to stop the attack and save the ship, I believe it was called the horizon or something close to that.â€

â€œThe horizon?â€ interrupted Mayweather, the only boomer of the crew.

â€œYes, have you heard of it?â€

â€œHeard of it, it was my fatherâ€™s shipâ€ Travis responded

â€œMy father use to tell me the story of how he was rescued in the early days when he started transporting cargo by a Vulcan, he always said he received the strangest request afterwards but he never did tell me what it was and I never did find out.â€ said Travis disappointed. His father had died a few years ago, and this story amongst other things were left unresolved. It reminded him of just how much he had missed his father.

â€œPerhaps I could be of assistance.â€ The Vulcan answered.

â€œAfter we drove off the pirates we docked with the ship and I met an enthusiastic young man, the Captain, who didnâ€™t seem at all put off by the resent encounter.â€

This caused Travis to break out into a huge smile â€œThat sounds like my dad.â€ he said proudly, warming instantly to the Vulcan before him. After all if it had not been for him, the ship and his parents would have been destroyed and he would not be here.

â€œWe helped with any repairs and then it occurred to me that I had the best opportunity I could hope for to carry out my plan. I talked it over with Soval and Horizonâ€™s captain and it was agreed that I would take the Vulcan ship, while Soval returned on the Horizon. We would say that the pirates returned and in the battle my ship was destroyed, me along with it, all the while Soval was on the Human ship helping with repairs. The plan worked flawlessly and to every one I once knew I was deadâ€ Sovek looked down to the floor he hadnâ€™t thought going over that particular part of his life would have been so difficult. â€œIt was the hardest thing I have ever had to do give up my family. Lie to my wife and my only child.â€ he looked over to Tâ€™pol, â€œAnd for that I am truly sorry.â€

The second the words left his mouth Sovek felt a shooting pain overwhelm his senses, he briefly heard someone ask if he was ok; he blinked as if to clear his vision, his eyesight becoming blurred and collapsedâ€¦


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Phlox ran to his side a scanner in hand â€œSovek can you hear meâ€ receiving no response the Doctor rolled him on to his front and checked his heart rate.

â€œHis heart rateâ€™s erratic, hand me the hypo spray and the blue vial over thereâ€ Phlox said indicating to Commander Tucker, the person closest to the medical store. Trip grabbed what the doctor had asked for and rushed over to him.

â€œDoctor what is wrong with him.â€ Tâ€™pol asked as the Doctor injected the blue liquid into Sovekâ€™s bloodstream.

â€œIt appears I had underestimated the amount of stress his body had been under. He was in the craft for a very long time and the combination of that coupled with the numerous other injuries he has sustained over the years finally caught up with him, what he needs now is rest.â€

Within seconds it seemed the blue serum had worked and Sovekâ€™s eyes flickered open. He attempted to stand up but was held in place by the doctor.

â€œI am afraid the only thing you will be doing for the next 24 hours will be lying on that bed over there.â€œ said Phlox pointing â€œ And trying to recover some of the nutrients you have lost and allowing your body to recover.â€ he continued.

Sovek rolled his eyes, a very un-Vulcan thing to do mused the Denoblian

â€œI am fine doctor.â€

â€œYou will let me be the judge of that.â€ said Phlox â€œI will need to ask you all to leave. My patient requires rest. You can continue your conversation tomorrow, no earlierâ€ he said directing this to the Captain.

Acknowledging Phlox the officers left, some reluctant to go- wanting to hear the rest of the story.

* * *

Malcolm Reed picked up his Tray and glanced around the mess hall, chef was serving his favourite desert today, pineapple pie. He scanned the room to find a familiar face and saw Hoshi and Travis waving him over. Walking over to them he set down his tray and sat down, two pairs of eyes stared intently at him.   
â€œWhat?â€ he asked

â€œWe wanted to know what you thought of Sovek.â€ said Hoshi eager for new gossip.

â€œYeah, according to Lieutenant Hess you were talking to him on the way to the briefing room.â€

Malcolm wasnâ€™t surprised when he heard Hessâ€™s name come up. He briefly remembered passing her in the corridor so shouldnâ€™t have been surprised when the information got back to Hoshi. There was no doubt they were the Queenâ€™s of gossip aboard Enterprise, nothing happened that these two didnâ€™t know about, that thought disturbed Malcolm a little.

â€œWe didnâ€™t talk that much, he asked about Enterprise and some of our missions but thatâ€™s it, he didnâ€™t come across as any Vulcan Iâ€™ve ever met before though.â€ Malcolm replied.

â€œIt must run in the familyâ€ responded Travis â€œBefore Tâ€™pol I didnâ€™t think a Vulcan could put up with humans for more than a few weeks, let alone serve under one.â€

Hoshi considered this for a moment, â€œItâ€™s a little surprising heâ€™s the commanders father, I thought after five years of serving aboard Enterprise Iâ€™d seen and heard everything that could surprise me but it appears I was wrong.â€

Malcolm and Travis nodded in agreement.

â€œI wonder how sheâ€™s taking it. I mean it must be a shock and you heard her she thought her father was dead.â€ responded Travis

Hoshi didnâ€™t want to say anything but she had a good idea that Tâ€™pol was with Trip, Enterpriseâ€™s grape vine had been full of rumours about those two, especially since the incident with Terra Prime as they spent more and more of their free time together. She knew not to believe a lot of the rumours flying around but she had noticed a change in her two superior officers. As communications officer she was suppose to be able to communicate and translate a number of languages, this included body language and she had been kept busy by the two for the past few weeks. The way Tâ€™pol stood closer to commander Tucker than any of the crew, her posture slightly more relaxed whenever he was around, indicated that she felt safe around him and wanted contact with him, taking into account that she was Vulcan and Vulcanâ€™s were touch telepaths this was very revealing.

Tripâ€™s tells were much easier to read, it almost offered no challenge. It was his eyes that gave him away, whenever he saw Tâ€™pol, his eyes would almost sparkle slightly and flicker in her direction. Someone once said that the eyes were the window to the soul and in Commander Tuckerâ€™s case they couldnâ€™t be more accurate.

Hoshi would have been pleased to have been proven correct. Trip was indeed with Tâ€™pol in her quarters. She was sat at her desk, Trip leaning over her looking at the screen.

â€œIs thatâ€¦?â€

â€œMy father and me, yes.â€ The screen showed a picture of a young Vulcan child-Tâ€™pol standing with her father at what appeared to be the fire planes. She looked not more than five years old and had a tiny smile on her face, almost unnoticeable. It appeared her emotional control had not completely developed. Her Father had his arm resting on her shoulder and was looking directly at the camera, he too appearedâ€¦ content.

Tâ€™pol stared at the photograph, she could remember that day so vividly. Her father had promised her that he would take her on a trip, just him and her; he never got to spend much time with her as he was always working. She remembered that she had looked forward to it for weeks, her mother had been displeased at her lack of emotional restraint as she enthusiastically described what she and father would do in the weeks leading up to it. Her father had dismissed her motherâ€™s complaints. Thinking back, he had always been more accepting of her â€˜inadequateâ€™ emotional control, which had always been a slight problem for her. In hindsight, it appeared he too was more emotional than â€˜normalâ€™ Vulcanâ€™s this she remembered had alwaysâ€¦concerned her mother.

â€œHow come youâ€™ve never talked about him before?â€

Tâ€™pol looked around facing Trip, she considered how to respond. â€œIt has always been a difficult subject for me to discuss, I was very close to my father growing up, more so than I have ever been with my mother. It took me a very long time to accept what had happened, â€ she pondered the issue further, â€œI suppose I never truly got over the incident and it was partly the reason why I joined the ministry of security, a way to follow in his footsteps you may say.â€ Tâ€™pol looked back at the image displayed on the monitor.

â€œI do not know how to proceed.â€

Trip frowned â€œYou mean with your father?â€

Tâ€™pol nodded, â€œI had thought him dead for more than four decades and now he has returned.â€

â€œYou mean you donâ€™t know if you can forgive him for lying to you.â€ Trip interjected

â€œVulcanâ€™s do not hold grudges.â€ she responded but Trip wasnâ€™t fooled, Vulcanâ€™s may act as if they had no emotions but Trip knew better, they had emotions. Emotions that were so powerful that if they took control it could consume them, the incident he had heard about on the Vulcan ship the Selena was a prime example of this.

â€œTâ€™pol, I have no idea how hard this must be for you and so I canâ€™t tell you what to do but Iâ€™m here for you. You helped me through so many rough times I can only hope I can do the same for you.â€ Trip said sincerely

â€œNow why donâ€™t I go to the mess and get us some food itâ€™s been a long day and I havenâ€™t eaten and I bet you havenâ€™t too.â€ Trip didnâ€™t need a response to know he was right â€œIâ€™ll be right back ok.â€ and with that he left her quarters.

Down in sickbay Doctor Phlox was witnessing a brand new sight, a restless Vulcan.

â€œDoctor how long must you insist I lay here. I have sufficiently recovered.â€ Sovek said.

He wanted to do somethingâ€¦ anything he wasnâ€™t use to just laying around but most of all he wanted to see his daughter again. When he saw her in the briefing room his heart stopped, he wasnâ€™t entirely sure that he wasnâ€™t hallucinating or that some sort of sick joke was being played on him. It had happened before, he had been captured and given something to make him see things, to persuade him to give his captors the information they wanted, it hadnâ€™t worked though he had been stronger than they thought.

The doctor thankfully pulled him out of his train of thought. The second worse thing to getting tortured was having to relive it afterwards and he was glad for the doctorâ€™s distraction.

â€œIt has only been eight hours and I hold the right to asses your health.â€ responded Phlox. â€œI can always give you something to make you relax, if you require.â€ That seemed to work and Sovek sighed, this time remaining quite. Phlox glanced at him. He was not like any Vulcan he had ever met and he seemed to openly show some emotions. Sovek caught the Doctor look over to him once more â€œWhat?â€ he asked.

â€œI apologise. I was just thinking that you are unlike any Vulcan I have ever met.â€ said Phlox

Sovek shrugged? â€œMy neural pathways have been damaged over the years it has become harder and harder for me to control my emotions, over time I have been able to find a balance. Even before I never believed as strongly as most that emotions were a thing to be feared, I have learned to live with them.â€

Phlox accepted his honest answer and wondered how he had sustained his neural damage, he didnâ€™t want to pry but came to the obvious conclusion- it appeared that Sovek had not only be tortured physically but also mentally and as a doctor, someone who tried prevent pain that thought sickened him.

Trip returned a short time later carrying a tray full of food; he was so hungry he couldnâ€™t decide what to have, so brought a selection for him and Tâ€™pol. Reaching her door, he juggled the tray, keyed in the code to enter, and stepped inside. Upon walking inside he saw Tâ€™pol meditating, he couldnâ€™t blame her, if he was in her position that would be exactly what he would be doing right now. Trying not to disturb her he placed the tray down and started to eat, he figured sheâ€™d be meditating for a while and wouldnâ€™t begrudge him to settle his grumbling stomach. Within the next ten minutes he had finished his food, he looked around her quarters deciding what he could do next. Tâ€™pol was still meditating and he didnâ€™t want to leave her.

He looked at her desk and noticed several padâ€™s, neatly piled up. He read the title of the top one entitle the Kirâ€™shaâ€™ra. Trip frowned, that was the Vulcan text Tâ€™pol had endlessly studied for months after it had been found. Looking over to her he decided to give it a go, after all, it wasnâ€™t as if he had much else to do, picking up the padd he sat down and started to read. After the first few chapters, Tripâ€™s eyelids began to get heavy, â€˜Damn Tâ€™pol if thatâ€™s not dry reading I donâ€™t know what is.â€™ Trip said to himself yawning. Looking over to her bed the thought struck him that he could get a quick ten minutes in while Tâ€™pol meditated, she wouldnâ€™t mind, would she? Trip stood, walked over, lay down and closed his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Trip awoke hours later, aware that his arms were wrapped around another figure, he looked around as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, these werenâ€™t his quarters. He scanned his memories trying to figure out how he got there. His mind registered, I was only suppose to close my eyes for a few minutes he thought to himself as he realised he was in Tâ€™polâ€™s quarters. Looking to his side he saw the Vulcan, eyes closed and a restless expression etched on her face. She was muttering words Trip couldnâ€™t understand, Vulcan he assumed. She seemed to be having some sort of nightmare he figured. Did Vulcanâ€™s even have nightmares or dreams for that matter Trip asked himself, it didnâ€™t matter but whatever it was it was obviously distressing her.

â€œTâ€™pol, wake up.â€ Trip said. Nothing happened

â€œTâ€™pol, wake up.â€ he said again, louder this time and shaking her slightly

This did get attention and she shot up, her eyes darting around the room, she was shaking slightly.

â€œTrip?â€ she whispered. Trip noticed that her voice quivered slightly.

â€œItâ€™s ok, Iâ€™m hereâ€ he said soothingly wrapping his arms around her, she hugged him back with just as much force.

â€œDo you want to tell me what that was all about?â€ he asked

â€œMy father.â€ she responded.

Elaborating further she continued, â€œright after he diedâ€¦. I mean right after I found out he was supposedly dead.â€ she said correcting herself. â€œI kept having dreams about my father. He was in so much pain that it felt as if I was the one suffering, he kept asking me to help him but every time I failed. It became so overwhelming that it was decided I undergo the Kolinar to purge myself of the dreams and the emotions that came with them, it worked but the nightmares have returned.â€ she sounded ever so slightly scared as she said this last part and that in turn scared Trip.

â€œYou donâ€™t have to worry Tâ€™polâ€ Trip soothed â€œIâ€™m here and theyâ€™re just nightmares, theyâ€™ve probably just been triggered by your dad showing up thatâ€™s all.â€

Tâ€™pol nodded â€œItâ€˜s 0600 now, our shifts should be starting in a few hours. Do you want to go and get some breakfast? There will be hardly any one aroundâ€ Trip asked just now noticing the food which he had brought last night for her had remained untouched.

â€œI believe it would be best if you should shower and change uniforms first commander.â€ Tâ€™pol replied an eyebrow raised

Trip looked down, his uniform was completely creased from sleeping in it last night, not the most suitable attire for a senior officer and skipping his shower yesterday meant he wasnâ€™t doing Tâ€™polâ€™s sensitive nose any favours.

â€œGood idea.â€ he said sheepishly â€œIâ€™ll meet you at the mess in half an hour ok?â€ he said walking out of the door, she followed slightly behind.

â€œTrip, wait.â€ she said walking up to him. â€œThank you.â€ she said â€œâ€¦For everything.â€

Trip nodded and Tâ€™pol pivoted around about to go back into her room when Trip turned her around, leaned down and softly kissed her.

â€œYou know Iâ€˜m always here to help.â€ He grinned back to her and walked off down the corridor. Tâ€™pol went back into her quarters and touched her lips where Trip had kissed her. Even though her Vulcan mask didnâ€™t change, inside the emotions her culture had taught her to suppress surged within her. She had defiantly made the right choice about being with him. She had never met anyone, Vulcan or human for that matter who evoked such feelings within her.

Sovek had finally persuaded Phlox to release him for a short time on the basis that he â€˜stretch his legs.â€™ Archer had deemed that he was not a serious security risk given that he possessed no weapons, was co-operating fully and if he had to admit it didnâ€™t, for now possess enough energy to do much else than walk slowly around the corridors of Enterprise. That however didnâ€™t mean a security officer, trailing several metres behind him trying to go un-noticed, unsuccessfully following him. In truth the officer was doing quite a good job but Vulcan hearing and military training gave Sovek a significant advantage. He couldnâ€™t blame Archer, Sovek was being given freedom to go around Enterprise, just a limited amount of it; past experiences had taught the crew to be more cautious of visitors. Sovek considered some of the mission reports Phlox had been kind enough to give him during his â€˜restingâ€™ period. He hadnâ€™t been given any potentially dangerous information just some of enterprises early mission reports- which could be easily obtained. Sovek thought it interesting at just how much trouble these humanâ€™s seemed to attract, at least he had some thing in common with them in that respect he reflected.

Sovek had also wanted to get out of sickbay for another reason, the main reason to see his daughter, she had always been an early riser and hopefully she still was. He wanted to perhaps talk to her - try to convince her that he had done what he had done to keep her safe or find out what he had missed in the forty-five years that he had missed, either way he just wanted to see her. He rounded a corner indicating that he was nearing the superior officer quarters. He stopped and backed up slightly round the corner as a door opened, he had hoped that he wouldnâ€™t encounter many personnel, which was why he chose this time to â€˜exploreâ€™ Enterprise. He recognised the man that walked through the door- a Commander Tucker if he was not mistaken. His hair was ruffled and he appeared unshaven.

The name commander Tucker had come up on several occasions in the reports he had read. Two things had stuck in his mind regarding the commander and they werenâ€˜t very good- first known man to become pregnant and an incident with pollen causing him to become delusional and threatening Tâ€™pol. Not the best examples of human behaviour, looking at the direction the commander was going in Sovek decided it must have been time for shifts to start and so was about to turn back when he heard his daughters voice.

â€œTrip, wait.â€

Sovek knew he should leave, the two didnâ€™t know he was here, he should go now but he just wanted to see his daughter. The commander stopped.

â€œThank youâ€¦. For everything.â€

The commander smiled and just as Tâ€™pol was about to enter her quarters he turned her around to face him then leaned down and kissed her.

Sovek was shocked. Was Tâ€™pol in a relationship with this human?

Sovek thought over what had just happened, why had she said thank you? Thank you for what? He wondered. What had Tucker done that Tâ€™pol needed to thank him for? Sovek needed to investigate this further, he wasnâ€™t sure what he thought of this new revelation. Especially the fact that he was coming out of his daughterâ€™s quarters at this time in the morning looking like he had slept there. Sovek had believed fraternization between staff was not allowed, yet this Tucker was obviously breaking this rule and had gotten his daughter caught up in it. He may have been â€˜missingâ€™ for forty or so years but he still cared about what happened to his daughter and he would be damned if he let anyone hurt her. Especially some womanising human who had already gotten himself pregnant through his â€˜explorationâ€™ of other species.

0800 arrived quickly. Captain Archer had arranged for his senior officers and his newest arrival to meet in the briefing room to continue the discussion from the previous day. As he arrived he found all of his staff, plus Sovek seated and waiting for his arrival. Was it him or was Sovek glaring at his third in command? Archer dismissed it as his imagination and greeted the people before him. After a brief exchange of conversation the captain pressed Sovek to continue his story.

â€œAfter leaving Soval on the Horizon, I realised I needed to discover what the Romulans and my government was conspiring to do. I couldnâ€™t do this as effectively when I was â€˜aliveâ€™ as this would have brought me too much attention, but I had the chance now. Years passed before I found any thing concrete and in that time, I made numerous enemies. What I did discover though only confirmed that what I had done was in the best interest of my family and my peopleâ€¦. I found a Romulan research facility.â€

â€œA lab, thatâ€™s what all the suspense was about.â€ questioned Trip, he sounded unimpressed.

â€œYes commander, a lab.â€ Sovek responded sharply.

He continued, â€œIt wasnâ€™t the lab that was of interest, it was what was being conducted there - genetic research. Research into Vulcan and human genetics along with many other species in this quadrant. This I found was then being used for the development of bio weapons, amongst other things. Weapons to eliminate your species, mine and others. They were years away from getting a result, but I managed to set back their progress even further.â€ Sovek sneered slightly â€œI paid for it too.â€

This elicited a bigger response. â€œWhy would they see humanâ€™s as a threat, we had barely mastered warp by then.â€ said Archer, his jaw clenched.

â€œThe Romulans were unconcerned with who would pose a threat to them Captain, they wanted domination, plane and simple if they had a weapon that could control worlds, entire species and wipe them out if necessary it gave them absolute power. That is what the Romulan Empire seeks.â€

â€œHow come weâ€™ve only started getting trouble from then lately then?â€ questioned Trip â€œIf they are such a big bad enemy then why hadnâ€™t we heard of them before.â€

â€œYou canâ€™t honestly believe the Romulans have just decided this year to star causing trouble, theyâ€˜ve been planning for years, biding their time. The altercations youâ€™ve had with them lately have just been a test- to assess how much of a threat you are and soon they are going to strike!â€

The room fell silent, contemplating what Sovek had just revealed.

Tâ€™pol broke the silence, this had been the first time she had addressed her father since the altercation yesterday. â€œYou said soon, do you know when and how they plan to act?â€

Her father faced her â€œThat piece of information nearly caused my death- for real this time. It is what led up to me floating in the ship you found me in, I believe they thought I was dead, or at least getting there.â€ he said, anger slightly apparent on his face.

â€œI managed to access the co-ordinates for their main weapons facility. We are fortunate that they have limited protection, but that will not remain so for long; we will need to act quickly. The only way we will be able to stop them is to gain control of their computer system and set the self-destruct manually. It will not be an easy task to accomplish in the slightest. Their will no doubt be several security measures in place, but Phlox has told me that it would be no problem for you miss Satoâ€ Sovek said causing Hoshi to blush. Even with all her talents, Hoshi still became embarassed when her skills were praised.

Captain Archer looked unsure of the plan. â€œYou realise if we go through with the plan our actions would be the prelude to war.â€

â€œCaptain, if you do not do this there will still be a war; millions will die and you will have lost your only advantage. I for one do not wish to see that happen!â€

â€œI will need to contact my superiors and I will need proof of what you are saying is true.â€ Archer replied.

Sovek stood up â€œCaptain I will give you all of the proof you need but do not tell them from whom you received it.â€ Archer looked confused

â€œI have been considered dead for over forty years, if your leaders tell my people about me- which they no doubt will my sacrifices would have been for nothing.â€

Archer considered this and nodded. â€œI will need to contact Starfleet and inform them. In the meantime you will be assigned temporary quarters, you may go anywhere around the ship with the exception of; the bridge, engineering and the armoury which are off limits, unless you have an escort present.â€

â€œThank you for your hospitality captain it is much appreciated.â€

Archer smiled at his courtesy. â€œWe will need your data to back up the information you gathered, I want you to work with Trip, Malcolm and Hoshi; get them up to speed with what you know. I want a report on how best to proceed, if we do get the go ahead.â€ everyone acknowledged â€œTâ€™pol can I talk to you for a moment.â€ Archer asked

Everyone else filed out of the room; leaving just Archer and Tâ€™pol.

â€œTâ€™pol I just wanted to know if youâ€™re ok with this, it must be a shock for you finding your fathers still alive. I mean I donâ€™t know how Iâ€™d be handling this if I were in your shoes, I just wanted to let you know that Iâ€™m here for you if you ever need help- someone to talk to.â€ Archer resisted the urge to place his hand on her shoulder showing his support, which he would have normally done any other member of the crew.

â€œI appreciate your concern captain.â€ Tâ€™pol answered. The two stood in silence for a few seconds.

â€œI should go, I need to contact Starfleet and talk to the Admiral.â€ the Captain said breaking the silence. â€œThis isnâ€™t a conversation Iâ€™m looking forward toâ€ he sighed and left to go to his ready room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Down in the situation room Trip and Sovek were coming to blows. They, along with Hoshi and Malcolm had been assigned to put together a possible plan to infiltrate and deal with the potential Romulan threat. It wasnâ€™t going as smoothly as hoped, It seemed the Vulcan was shooting everything the engineer suggested down. It wasnâ€™t entirely one sided either. Tucker had dismissed some of Sovekâ€™s ideas as unfeasible; seeming to antagonise the Vulcan further. Trip couldnâ€™t understand it, he had always perceived himself as a friendly person and everything he seemed to do to change Sovekâ€™s view of him caused the Vulcan to act even more like he hated Enterpriseâ€™s chief engineer.

Several hours passed, the four of them making very little progress. Malcolm and Hoshiâ€™s part in the â€˜discussionâ€™ had been reduced from offering their opinions on how a task could be accomplished to sitting around while Trip and Sovek argued the advantages and disadvantages of each otherâ€™s apparent solutions. Hoshi had thought it odd how similar this situation mirrored one that had occurred around five years ago between Trip and Tâ€™pol. It seemed the engineer had a particular effect on Vulcanâ€™s. Hoshi only hoped that the same mutual respect that had developed between Trip and Tâ€™pol would surface between Trip and Sovek . She did not think she could put up with their stubbornness for much longer!

Hours later it was decided that they should conclude and meet up again tomorrow. Everyone was tired and Trip for one was glad to get out of there, he hadnâ€™t been infuriated this much by anyoneâ€¦ well except Tâ€™pol he mused. At the thought of his favourite Vulcan Tripâ€™s mood improved slightly. Reaching the mess he picked up a pie of pecan pie and walked passed all of the tables; he headed to the back of the room where the first officer sat, camomile tea in hand.

â€œHow glad am I to see you.â€ Trip said sitting down next to her and taking a massive mouthful of the sugary dessert.

Tâ€™pol raised one eyebrow at his action. â€œHave you made any progress with the data collected?â€ she inquired.

Trip paused and swallowed his mouthful. â€œHardly any, anytime I tried to make a suggestion Sovek pointed out my flawed and irrational logicâ€ Trip said, using air quotes to emphasise his point. â€œIf I didnâ€™t know any better Iâ€™d say heâ€˜s got something against me.â€

â€œThat is an illogical assumption Trip.â€

Trip rolled his eyes â€œHave you talked to him yet?â€

Tâ€™pol didnâ€™t respond, instead taking a sip of her tea. â€œIâ€™ll take that as a no then.â€ Trip supplied.

â€œI will talk to him soon. I require some time toâ€¦. adjust to this situation.â€

â€œWell whatever you do Iâ€™m right behind you Tâ€˜pol.â€

Taking the last bite of his dessert Trip yawned. â€œI might turn in early; itâ€™s been a long day.â€ He leaned slightly closer, his voice quieter.

â€œAre you going to be ok? The nightmares I mean. You were pretty shook up this morning and I was worried about you.â€ Tâ€™pol turned to face him â€œI will be fine, if I meditate for longer the dreams will more than likely cease.â€ Trip looked unconvinced but knew that even if she did have a problem she would rather not admit it, even to him. That was more about her being Vulcan though than anything else. Trip nodded anyway. â€œIâ€™ll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight.â€

* * *

Sovek entered â€˜hisâ€™ new quarters, they were bigger than he would have expected. Walking over to the desk, he sat down and accessed the programme he and the three others had been working on. Perhaps he could get some work done now that Tucker wasnâ€™t there he thought to himself. His initial thoughts about this man had been correct. He was an overly emotional human who dismissed any ideas that werenâ€™t his own. It wasnâ€™t surprising the amount of times he had gotten him self caught up in trouble.   
Sovek had been reading some more of Enterpriseâ€™s early missions. He had just finished reading the account of Tuckerâ€™s encounter with the kidnapped princess. He was found in a very compromising position when found by the others from Enterprise sent to rescue him. Why should this have surprised him? Tucker was already breaking fraternization rules. Placing his career and Tâ€™polâ€™s in jeopardy. The commanderâ€™s blatant disregard for orders only increased Sovekâ€™s dislike of him. What his daughter saw in the young engineer was beyond him. At this point he wouldnâ€™t be surprised if Tucker had even tricked Tâ€™pol in some way. Persuading her that an â€˜experimentâ€™ of everything that it meant to be human would help her understand them better.

Sovek needed to talk to Tâ€™pol, but not just about Tucker, he wanted to find out what had happened in the last forty years to her, to her mother. What led to Tâ€™pol staying on Enterprise? What career path did she choose before her posting here? All these questions and more he wanted to ask her. He looked at the clock on the computer 1:45 am. He wouldnâ€™t have the chance tomorrow he decided. He didnâ€™t really want to wake her either but he needed to talk to her.

* * *

Trip awoke suddenly. Waves of fear flooded his consciousness, he felt terrified. He looked around his room, the digits of his alarm clocks illuminating the time- 2am. _What the hellâ€™s going on?_ \- The main thought passing through his mind.He tried to clear his head of all thoughts and emotions but the fear remained.   
It was then that he realised the emotions werenâ€™t his; they belonged to Tâ€™pol and she was in trouble. Trip stood up, pulled on some trousers lying haphazardly on the floor, and rushed out into the corridor heading to Tâ€™pols quarters.

He realised if a crewmember saw him it could look a bit unusual to say the least. The gossip would also be circulating around the ship for months. The chief engineer running around shirtless and in the direction of the science officers quarters; he didnâ€™t care. The emotions he had felt had been getting stronger and stronger as he got closer. Reaching his destination he didnâ€™t bother trying to alert her to his presence. Instead, he keyed in his security code and entered, running inside.

Sovek retraced his steps that he took yesterday. His acute hearing picked up footsteps, whomever they belonged to was running and they were coming in his direction; he carried on nevertheless. He was about to turn down the corridor leading to Tâ€™polâ€™s quarters when he stopped. He had found the source of the footsteps that he heard. They belonged to Commander Tucker, who was stood half-naked in front of his daughterâ€™s quarters. He did not seem at all concerned about being caught. Maybe this was not an unusual occurrence. Perhaps it happened quite often. Tucker got â€˜lonelyâ€™ at night and so went to someone who could â€˜keep him company.â€™ Sovek considered to himself.

Sovek watched as Tucker keyed in a code and let himself in. The nerve of this human! Sovek growled. He clenched his hand making a fist, anger was apparent on his face. The Vulcan closed his eyes and took several calming breaths. He would make sure Tucker was dealt with. With that, he turned on his heel and left.

Trip entered the room. The scene he was met with was worse than the night previous. Tâ€™pol was jerking around madly in her sleep as if trying to get away from someone. She was murmuring in Vulcan again and looked scared. Trip rushed to her side shaking her awake. â€œTâ€™pol, wake up darâ€™lin your dreaming again. Come on wake up.â€

â€œTâ€™polâ€™s eyes shot open, she looked disorientated and confused.

â€œYou were dreaming again.â€ Trip explained.

Tâ€™pol nodded, shaking. Trip wrapped his bare arms around her; she sank into his embrace.

â€œHow did you know I was dreaming?â€ Tâ€™pol asked after a few minutes.

â€œI donâ€™t know. I just woke up and it was just like I could feel you were in trouble, all I knew was that I had to get to you - to keep you safe.â€

Tâ€˜pol took in the information, eyebrow raised. â€œIt was more than likely the bond that we share. It is designed to warn mateâ€™s that the one they are joined to is in danger. The need you felt to get to me is a primal Vulcan instinct. It is designed to protect oneâ€™s mate. It seems our bond is strengthening.â€

Tâ€™pol looked over to Trip considering whether she should say what was on her mind. â€œIf we wished to severe the bond, we would have to do it soon. At the rate it is developing it will soon only be able to be severed by death.â€

Trip didnâ€™t know what to say, he had just been told that he could be Tâ€™polâ€™s mate until â€˜death do us part.â€™ But then she had said it could be severed nowâ€¦.. Was that what she wanted?

â€œDo you want us to severe the bond?â€ Trip asked anxiously.

In the few seconds that it took Tâ€™pol to answer Trip thought his his heart would explode from the stress. â€œI wish for our bond to remain.â€ she finally answered â€œDo you wish for it to be severed.â€ Tâ€™pol asked, apprehension tinged her voice.

â€œHell no.â€ Trip responded forcibly. â€œYou know how I feel about you, breaking it hasnâ€™t even entered my mind.â€ Trip answered honestly. Tâ€™pol released the breath she hadnâ€™t even realised she was holding, it surprised her just how much she had wanted the bond between Trip and herself to remain.

The two fell asleep soon afterwards. Tripâ€™s arms encircling Tâ€™pol protectively whilst Tâ€™pol lay partly across his chest, her head resting over his heart. It was completely obvious how the two felt about each other, their body language only standing to re-enforce the fact.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

All of the senior members of Enterprise, plus Sovek met in the situation room bright and early. The Captain having received an answer from Starfleet regarding the apparent Romulan threat.

Captain Archer related what he had been told. It seemed Starfleet agreed that the Romulans could pose a future problem, however they didnâ€™t believe destroying a weapons facility was the answer.

Firstly the Intel had come from an unknown source.- Archer had accepted Sovekâ€™s wishes and not told his superiors from whom he had received the information from. This Archer believed wasnâ€™t the main reason for Starfleetâ€™s unwillingness to get involved. The main reason being that if they were to take action it would surely be considered an act of war by Earth. Earth and its people were not ready, nor did they want another war.

The Xindi conflict was still fresh in peopleâ€™s minds and with the recent Terra Prime problem, Starfleet was just managing to justify Enterprise and Columbiaâ€™s mission of exploration. No one on Earth would support a planetary war.

â€œSo whatâ€™s going to happen about the Romulans?â€ Trip inquired.

â€œOfficially Starfleet will continue to observe any threat to Earth and take the necessary action. Unofficially it is just hoping the danger will go away. â€ The Captain replied.

â€œYour government is fooling itself captain.â€ Sovek stated. â€œWar is inevitable; ignoring it will only cause the numbers of lives that will be lost to increase. Your leaders are fools Archer.â€ Sovek said bluntly as he left the room.

â€œTook that well didnâ€™t he.â€ said Trip

â€œI donâ€™t entirely disagree with him.â€ said Archer â€œThe threat from Terra Prime is putting a lot of pressure on Starfleet. They canâ€™t be seen to be getting into conflicts with other species, even if they pose a great threat.â€ Archer stated.

Trip and Tâ€™pol knew more than anyone the lengths Terra Prime could go to. The incident months ago with their daughter a shining example of humanities darker side. If Sovek was right about the Romulans, and the officers believed he was. Then Terra prime could be indirectly responsible for Starfleetâ€™s and Earthsâ€™ failure to protect itself against an alien race. The poetic irony not passing the crew of Enterprise by.

Archer was the last person that wanted war. Never wanting to go through anything like the Xindi conflict ever again, but if the Romulans were such a threat, Earth needed to take actionâ€¦ and soon.

â€œWe have been ordered to continue our Exploration, it just so happens the next system the Admiral authorised us to explore is very close to the co-ordinates Sovek provided.â€

The officers knew exactly what Archer was implying.

Archer continued. â€œWe are to strictly gather information about the system, if it just so happens that Enterprisesâ€™ sensorâ€™s take some readings of a previously unknown outpost that just happens to be Romulan then so be it.â€ Archer said, a small smirk apparent on his face. He didnâ€™t like all the secrecy but if thatâ€™s what it took to make sure that Earth would remain safe, then so be it.

â€œWe must be very careful though. If the Romulans suspect that we are in the system for any other reason they may attack. I donâ€˜t want to face that risk.â€ Archer told his officers.

â€œTravis, when you get to the bridge set a course; warp four point five.â€ Mayweather nodded.

â€œOk, everyone dismissed.â€

* * *

Enterprise had been travelling through the blackness of space for around two days now. The stars from the perspective of the people on Enterprise were streaking by at incredible speeds; the crew getting even closer to their destination.   
Hoshi was working late, her shift having finished hours ago. She was still in the middle of updating the translation matrix- a job she could not exactly leave half finished. Her console beeped indicating Enterprise had detected an incoming signal.

Leaving her work for the moment she picked up her earpiece and listened to the message, her eyes opened wider as she listened to the signal. Pressing a sequence of commands, she contacted the captain and relayed what she had heard. â€œIâ€™ll be right there.â€ was his only response and within minutes, he had arrived on the bridge.

Malcolm was in the gym when the call for all senior officers to report to the bridge came through. He placed down the weight he was lifting and hurried to the bridge. _â€˜Whatâ€™s gone wrong now?â€™_ His only thought as he entered the turbo lift. Somedays he would like to be able to go a week without some major catastrophe from happening. There was no chance of that happening though, this ship was Enterprise and it was like a magnet- attracting all the trouble you could find in the galaxy. Still if he had to admit it, he enjoyed some of the situations they got themselves into; he thrived on the uncertainty and danger.

Stepping on to the bridge, he saw the rest of the officers; they were apparently waiting for him. Seeing that his security officer had arrived the captain started to fill everyone in on what had occurred.

â€œWithin the last fifteen minutes. We received a distress signal from a Tellarite ship; not too far from our position, their systems have failed and they are coming very close to a gas giant whose gravity they canâ€™t overcome.â€

â€œDo we know how bad their systems are Capâ€™n?â€ Trip asked.

â€œNo, all we received was a rather distorted distress signal in Tellarite. We have no idea how or why their systems failed, or if there are any casualtiesâ€.

â€œTâ€™pol and Trip I want you to offer assistance when we rendezvous. Assess how bad their systemâ€™s are, and find out if you can do anything to help. I have asked Phlox to prepare for any casualties.

â€œCaptain, I wish to offer my services also.â€ said Sovek stepping off the turbo lift having heard most of the conversation.

â€œI told you the bridge was off limits.â€ replied Archer ignoring what the Vulcan had said.

â€œI apologise Captain, however I believe I can help with your situation. I have been on various Tellarite ships and know their systems. It would speed up the repair time.â€

Archer considered this for a few seconds â€œYou can help Trip and Tâ€™pol our ETA is in thirty minutes; prepare what you need to assist you.â€

â€œThank you Captain.â€ Sovek responded.

Thirty minutes later Enterprise slowed to impulse. They had attempted to hail the Tellarite vessel but had been unsuccessful. Tâ€™pol tried to scan the interior to detect any life signs but was somehow being prevented from doing so. She assumed the gas giant was interfering with her readings and thought nothing more of it. She managed to scan the exterior though, and found that the docking ports were incompatible with enterprise or her shuttle pods.

â€œCaptain it appears we will have to beam over. We will not be able to dock.â€ Tâ€™pol informed the Captain.

â€œOk, be careful over there.â€ Archer responded.

â€œArenâ€™t we always Capâ€™nâ€ said Trip a grin on his face.

Archer rolled his eyes. If there was trouble to be found the commander would find it. It was a well-known fact aboard Enterprise that Phlox often joked that he had reserved a bed entirely for the engineer. This was due mostly to the fact that usually Trip spent more time in sickbay after an away mission than essentially on the mission itself! Archer just hoped this wouldnâ€™t be one of those times, he didnâ€™t realise how wrong he actually was.

Trip, Tâ€™pol and Sovek stood on the transport platform. Trip nodded over to the Ensign who was operating the controls, the young woman pulled down the lever and activated the transport. The molecules of the three were broken down and they re-materialised on board the Tellarite ship.

The scene they were met with could not be more different from what they were expecting. They didnâ€™t even have time to respond before each of them were hit directly in the chest, their bodies falling straight to the ground. Out of the shadows, a figure stepped forward, a weapon still trained on the three. A crude smile appearing on their face. â€œI told you this wouldnâ€™t be the last time we met, Sovek.â€â€¦â€¦â€¦


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sovek awoke disorientated and with a pounding headache. His hand immediately came up to his chest and he felt around for where he was shot. His chest felt slightly bruised but that was all. â€˜Must have been a stun weaponâ€™ he murmured to himself, he looked around the rest of the room; he managed to make out two more shapes lying sprawled on the ground, â€œTâ€™polâ€, he gasped as he moved over to her; he felt for a pulse and found a strong heartbeat. Her eyes fluttered open and locked with his.

â€œAre you injured?â€ he asked sincerely.

She did not respond instead she took in her surroundings. She looked over to where Trip lay and quickly moved over to him.

â€œTâ€™pol I asked if you were injured.â€ her father said, repeating the question.

â€œI am fine.â€ was her very human response as she checked Tripâ€™s breathing and heartbeat, he was safe but the effect of the stun weapon was more severe on him. He was human and therefore not as strong as a Vulcan was. He would need more time to recover. She sat down next to him and stroked his face, pushing a lock of messy blond hair off his forehead. Her father was confused by the action.

â€œDo you know who shot us?â€ Tâ€™pol asked, addressing her father and breaking the silence.

â€œI do not, however I believe that they were not in fact Tellarites.â€

â€œIndeed.â€

â€œTâ€™pol, we have not talked since my return. I wish to know whether you accept my reason for misleading you.â€

â€œIt was the only logical thing to do.â€ Tâ€™pol stated.

â€œThat is not what I asked. Could you forgive me for what I have done? It was never my intention toâ€¦ hurt you.â€

Tâ€™pol thought back to what Trip had said. â€˜Youâ€™ve got a chance many people would do anything for; youâ€™ve got your dad back.â€™ Tâ€™pol could not argue with this logic, she was thankful her father had returned, despite how it had come about.

â€œI forgive you.â€

The words left her mouth before she had time to consider what she was saying. If she had to admit it though she had spoken the truth.

Sovekâ€™s features softened somewhat.

â€œYou donâ€™t know what that means to me Tâ€™pol. I wish to know what has occurred to you in the time that I have been away.â€

â€œThere is over forty years to inform you about.â€

Sovek looked around the cell they were being kept in. The â€˜roomâ€™ appeared to have only one door- there was no other way out. The door also appeared to have no handle or locking mechanism on the side they were being kept on. It must only be able to be opened on the other side Sovek theorised.

â€œIt appears we will not be going anywhere for some time.â€ he responded eyebrow raised. Tâ€™pol couldnâ€™t argue with this.

â€œBefore you begin, tell me of your mother, is she well?â€ Sovekâ€™s innocent comment elicited a change in Tâ€™polâ€™s features, one that many wouldnâ€™t have recognised, except to those that knew the Vulcan closely. Despite the fact that he hadnâ€™t seen her in so long he was still attuned to her facial expressions.

â€œMother died last year, she was killed during our search of the Kirâ€™shaâ€™ra .â€ Tâ€™pol responded solemnly.

Sovek was quiet for some time, processing what he had just heard. He didnâ€™t know what he had expected, hearing about his wifeâ€™s death though was near the end of the list. A part of him had always hoped he would return, be with Tâ€™Les again. All of his problems solved and able to return to the life he had before. He knew it was illogical but he couldnâ€™t help it. He felt the torrents of emotion welling up inside. He put the news to the back of his mind, he couldnâ€™t become emotional now. Not in this situation, he would deal with the revelation later.

â€œTell me what has occurred since I left.â€ Sovek spoke again, his voice quiet and pitched with emotion.

Tâ€™pol did as instructed and began recounting the simplified version of what had occurred in the last four decades. It had surprised him how much she had been through. He resented the fact that he had missed so much. About two hours later when Tâ€™pol was just about to start discussing her assignment to Enterprise Trip began to stir.

A groan escaped his lips followed by a string of curses. â€œOne mission, one mission thatâ€™s all I ask for where I donâ€™t get captured or kidnapped.â€ Trip started to rant as he sat up. He stopped as a wave of pain and nausea hit him, he grabbed his head in response.

â€œTâ€™pol are you ok?â€ he asked.

â€œI am fine.â€ she assured him and continued â€œThe pain should subside soon.â€

â€œGood. It feels like I just got run over by a shuttle pod.â€ he replied. Tâ€™pol raised an amused eyebrow at his comment.

Sovek watched their interaction with interest. They both showed concern for each other. The commander especially, that did not make sense to the older Vulcan. He had gotten the impression that the only person Tucker cared about was himself. Yet he was more worried about Tâ€™pol and how she was than himself.

â€œWhere are we?â€ Trip asked

â€œIt seems we are in a cell on the Tellarite vessel.â€ she responded

â€œEnterprise knows where we are. Theyâ€™ll get us back.â€ Trip said, trying to reassure himself more than anything.

As Trip finished talking the door to their cell opened, itâ€™s hinges creaking. A figure stepped forward, their face hidden behind a mask and a gun pointed directly at the three.

â€œCome with me Vulcan.â€ The masked figure spoke, their voice distorted.

Sovek stepped forward, about to follow. â€œNot you, the female.â€ the voice said again, this time indicating to Tâ€™pol.

â€œYou want someone take me.â€ Trip snarled, standing in a protective stance in front of Tâ€™pol. All of this earned him was a knock on the side of his head from the base of the gun, which their captor held. Trip attempted to stand up again.

â€œTrip, stop. I will be alright.â€ Tâ€™pol stated, her fingerâ€™s making brief contact with Tripâ€™s hand, with that she was led away. The Door banged shut behind her and the cell was plunged into silence.

Trip moved over to the door, his hands searching for any hidden catch, anything that would get the door open.

â€œYour efforts are futile Tucker.â€ Sovek stated

â€œI donâ€™t see you doing anything to help. I mean sheâ€™s only you daughter itâ€™s not like she mattersâ€. That sarcastic comment from Tucker hit a nerve with the already emotional Vulcan. Sovek thrust Trip against the wall.

â€œI am her father, I care about her welfare. However I am unsure as to why you are concerned, perhaps if some thing happens to my daughter you would be left without any one on the ship with which to break fraternization rules. Did all the other women on the ship turn you down commander?â€

Trip frowned in confusion. â€œWhat the hell are you talking about?â€

â€œDo not play innocent with me commander, I have seen you with my daughter. Visiting her quarters late at night, sometimes not even fully clothed. Leaving her quarters early in the morning so as to not get caught. I know your type Tucker. Your actions on previous missions prove what you are like. The incident with the princess, the time when you became pregnant. I donâ€˜t know how you tricked Tâ€˜pol or why she is worried with your well-being.â€

A look of realisation came over Tripâ€™s face. From an observer it would have looked very suspicious. Him turning up at Tâ€™polâ€™s quarters at all hours, and as for the previous missions he had been very reckless back then. The Xindi incident had stopped that and in many ways made him grow up.

â€œItâ€™s not what you think.â€ Sovek didnâ€™t relax his grip on Trip even slightly.

â€œIâ€™m in love with her.â€

Sovek frowned â€œYou lie.â€

â€œNo! Lying would be saying that I donâ€™t think about her constantly. That I donâ€™t wonder whatâ€™s sheâ€™s thinking about, or what sheâ€™s doing. And that Iâ€™m not so completely and absolutely in love with her that last year I had to transfer to another ship because I couldnâ€™t stand not being with her!â€ Trip shouted, twisting out of Sovekâ€™s grip and walking over to the other side of the cell.

Sovek was actually speechless, could what the young engineer said be true? What reason would he have to lie?

â€œShe was having nightmares.â€ Trip said a few moments later.

Sovek looked confused. â€œThatâ€™s why I was at her quarters, she was scared. I was just trying to protect her.â€ Trip finished.

Sovek took a few moments to consider what the Commander had said. The Vulcan was embarrassed to admit that his emotions had overtaken his logic. He thought he had found a balance but he apparently hadnâ€™t. He jumped to conclusions without properly analysing the facts. He let emotions dictate his actions, that was one of the reasonâ€™s Vulcanâ€™s strived to suppress emotions, perhaps they were right to do so.

â€œI apologise Commanderâ€¦ It seems I misjudged you.â€ Sovek said sympathetically

â€œI would have probably done the same. But to be honest I donâ€™t really give a crap about that right now, we need to get Tâ€™pol and get out of here. â€ Trip replied.

The two searched the sparse room, they found nothing. Sovek even tried to knock down the door but his efforts proved unsuccessful. Trip sank to the floor and held his head in his hands. He closed his eyes and tried in vain to reach out with their bond to try to sense her, he had never attempted to contact her before and didnâ€™t really know what he was doing, he couldnâ€˜t sense her. He kept telling himself it was because the bond wasnâ€™t strong enough or that she was too far away. He was terrified to think of the other reason why he couldnâ€™t reach her. He didnâ€™t allow himself to think anything other than that they would all make it out of here alive, he needed to stay positive. He needed to believe Tâ€™pol was still alive!


	9. Chapter 9

Tâ€™pol was led around the shipâ€™s corridors, arriving to what she could only assume was the bridge. She was thrust towards a console, an alien weapon digging into her lower back. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, there were barely a handful of people, hardly enough to run and control a ship like this. However every figure she did see had their features hidden behind a rather crude mask, her guards included. Tâ€™pol had tried to figure out which species had abducted her, Trip and her father but as of yet she had no answers.

â€œYour ship has been attempting to contact you.â€ A harsh, yet commanding voice spoke behind her. Tâ€™pol turned around. He, unlike the others wore no mask, no disguise to hide his species. Her eyes landed first on his face, a jagged scar was etched upon his left eyebrow, other than that his features were flawless. He appeared to be in his mid thirties by human standards. Her eyes travelled from his face to his ears. Even with her emotionless Vulcan mask she couldnâ€™t hide the look of shock that crossed her face

â€œYouâ€™re Vulcan.â€ she stated.

A look of hatred glowed within his eyes, â€œI am nothing like your species.â€ he spat â€œOn the outside I may appear Vulcan, but that is where the similarity ends. My appearance was altered for the benefit of the Empireâ€™s mission.â€

â€œYouâ€™re Romulanâ€ Tâ€™pol continued, her tone accusatory.

A small smirk appeared upon his features. â€œYesâ€ he simply replied.

A wave of realisation hit T'pol, suddenly it all made sense. The Romulanâ€™s had always been very secretive, Starfleet and Vulcan never seeing their true features; despite coming into contact with them on several occasions. The only true contact between them being brief audio messages. That explained the masks, they no doubt wanted their identities to remain a secret.

As for her and the others abduction, well Enterprise was travelling to a suspected Romulan base, why wouldnâ€™t there be Romulanâ€™s in the area, albeit travelling under the guise of being Tellarite but still. Tâ€™pol briefly looked around the bridge, parts she recognised as Tellarite whereas other parts were technology she couldnâ€™t identify. A thought passed briefly through her mind. Tâ€™pol had heard many colloquial and very Human phrases during her time aboard Enterprise and â€˜a wolf in sheepâ€™s clothingâ€™ seemed to describe this situation and ship very well.

â€œVulcan you are going to be helping us.â€ The Romulan continued, interrupting her thoughts.

Tâ€™pol narrowed her eyes, did they actually believe she would willingly help them? â€œAnd if I refuse?â€.

The Romulan looked back at her, a look of amusement apparent on his face. â€œYou will help us, of that have no doubt.â€ he said, a conniving smile on his face, as if laughing at an unknown joke.

â€œFirstly you will tell your ship that you and the others are well, and that you will need to stay on this ship for at least another day, during which time you will not be able to communicateâ€¦. If you do not comply, one of your companions will be harmed.â€ He spat threateningly, passing the familiar Starfleet communicator to her.

Tâ€™pol took the communicator; her mind conflicted over what to do. If she didnâ€™t do what her captors said then it was quite possible her, Trip and her father would be killed. However on the other hand they could be killed anyway and the people on Enterprise could meet the same fate if she didnâ€™t warn them. â€˜The needs of the manyâ€™.. - Surakâ€™s well known teaching briefly flickering through her mind.

Tâ€™pol looked around the room once more, trying to locate anything which could help her, something which she could use against them, she knew her efforts would no doubt prove to be useless but she tried anyway. Her eyes settled on a console in the corner, her superior eyesight identifying the images and specs. The language was unidentifiable to her but she got the â€˜gistâ€™ of what it did. She had one more option available, one to save everyone she loved, whether she would survive it was another question. Tâ€™pol had decided what she needed to do.

She opened up the communicator and signalled Enterprise, Jonathon Archerâ€™s voice reached her ears within seconds.

â€œTâ€™pol, are you and the rest of the away team ok?â€

Tâ€™pol looked over to her captors, two had gunâ€™s pointed directly at her. If she was going to act she needed to act soon.

â€œThe Tellarites said you were busy with the repairs.â€ Archer said â€œAnd thatâ€™s why you were unable to contact usâ€ he continued.

Tâ€™pol moved ever so slightly over to the console and to one of the guards. She risked a look at the Romulan â€˜Vulcanâ€™. He appeared to be watching her actions intently, strangely it seemed he was choosing to ignore her movements.

â€œWe are unharmed Captain.â€ she moved a little further over to the console and the one guard, the other guards non the wiser.

â€œThe Tellarites said you needed a further twenty four hours, is that true?â€

Tâ€™pol paused and looked at one of the weapons pointed at her. â€˜forgive me Trip.â€™

â€œCaptain it is a trap, we have been taken prisoner. Enterprise is in danger,â€ as the words spilled from her her mouth the weapon closest to her discharged, itâ€™s pulsating beam aimed straight at her.

T'pol dashed out of the way, the beam cutting into her shoulder, she ignored the pain and launched herself at the guard, he fell to the ground, dropping his weapon. He reached for it but she was quicker, she didnâ€˜t have time to hesitate and so pulled the trigger. The weapon had been on stun, the guard lost consciousness.

â€œTâ€™pol? Tâ€™pol? Please respondâ€ Archerâ€™s voice cut through weapons fire.

* * *

Aboard Enterprise the sounds of weapons fire echoed around the bridge, Archer immediately ordered his chief of security to raise shields, and to bring the weapons system online. He didnâ€™t know what the hell was going on but he didnâ€™t like the sound of it.   
â€œI want them beamed off that ship now!â€ Archer demanded of the officer manning Tâ€™polâ€™s post. As the words left his mouth the bridge of Enterprise shook with such a force that Archer was nearly knocked to the ground.

â€œReport.â€

â€œShields are at 65 percent, I am returning fire.â€

Reed proceeded to fire at the enemy ship, Enterpriseâ€™s phase canons impacting the Tellarite shipâ€™s hull.

â€œBrace for impact.â€ the security officer cried out

An array of torpedoes hit enterprise, members of the crew were thrown around like rag dolls. Throughout the ship, consoles erupted in flames, crewmen rushed around extinguishing the fire's and helping others who had received injuries.

Down in engineering, Commander Kelby, who had been left in charge during Tripâ€™s absence was co-ordinating teams to deal with the damage. He had sent the injured crewmen to sickbay, the others he had immediately put to work on fixing the damage. His eyes briefly drifted over to Lieutenant Hess, she had a small gash on her forehead, but fortunately, that seemed to be the extent of her injuries. She was working furiously to get the plasma relays deactivated to prevent an overload. She looked over to him and gave him a brief smile, which he returned, reassuring each other that they were both ok.

Kelby surveyed the rest of engineering, looking to see where he could provide the most assistance. He was about to climb the ladder to the upper level, to assist one of the newer Ensign's as he felt Enterprise jerk sharply starboard, another wave of weapons fire impacting the hull. The warp core shuddered, the Commander turned sharply around, he didn't even take the time to consider the consequences of what he was doing as he threw himself at Anna Hess. She was pushed, not so gracefully out of the way, the console she had been working on blowing up, showering him in sparks and metal debris. He thought he briefly heard her call his name as he fell to the floor, "...I knew I should have asked Anna to movie night." his last coherent though as he lost consciousness.

â€œWeâ€™ve received direct damage to the warp core, we canâ€™t even reach warp 1.â€ Reed informed the bridge crew analysing the data in front of him.

â€œCan we beam the away team back?â€

â€œI canâ€™t get any readingâ€™s of the interior.â€ The nervous ensign manning Tâ€™polâ€™s station responded.

* * *

The com channel was still open and Tâ€™pol could hear her replacements problem. Enterpriseâ€™s retaliation had worked in her favour, the guards had all been knocked off their feet, she looked over to the far left of the bridge. The console in the corner was blocking all scans, it was what had prevented her from getting any information about the interior earlier.   
She moved to get to it but was tackled by one of the guards, she landed hard on the floor. A fist was brutally knocked into her face, but she fought the darkness that was trying to engulf her. She fought back. She needed to save Trip and her father, they were depending on her. That thought gave her strength as she ran over to the console. She took the gun in her hand and fired, flames and sparked erupted from the machine. The elation she felt was only momentary. She didnâ€™t have a chance to see the Romulan get up and fire his weapon.

In her last seconds of consciousness her sensitive ears picked up the Romulanâ€™s voice. â€œâ€¦just as we were predicting.â€ Tâ€™pol didnâ€™t have time to reflect on what this meant as her world went black!

Aboard Enterprise the ensign began noticing a change in the data. â€œI have a lock captain.â€

Archer turned sharply around â€œBeam them aboard.â€ A nod was all he received.

â€œTransporting.â€

â€œCaptain the ship just entered warp.â€ Reed interrupted â€œWe canâ€™t even reach warp 1, we canâ€™t pursue.â€ He stated

Captain Archer nodded grimly and apprehensively asked the question that was on everyone elseâ€™s minds.

â€œDid we get them?â€

The young officer looked down at the data coming from the transporter room her features saddened.

â€œWe only received two.â€ she said

â€œWho?â€ Archer demanded

â€œCommander Tucker and Sovek. The realisation of what that meant struck the bridge crew.

â€œCommander Tâ€™pol is still on the Tellarite vessel sir.â€â€¦â€¦


	10. Chapter 10

Trip looked around at his surroundings, seconds ago he was being thrown around his cell - the result of weaponâ€™s fire, and now he was standing in the middle of Enterpriseâ€™s transporter room. He looked over to Sovek to confirm the Vulcan was uninjured and then looked back to the Transporter pad.   
â€œWhereâ€™s Tâ€™pol?â€

Trip moved quickly over to the com panel, â€œCapâ€™n, whereâ€™s Tâ€™pol.â€ he questioned. Recently whenever he was aboard Enterprise he was always aware of a slight presence in the back of his mind. Now he felt nothing, it was like a part of him was missing.

Internally waves of worry and fear flooded him, this time they were his emotions. He kept his voice clear, suppressing all remnants of what he was feeling. Worrying was not going to help her.

The Captainâ€™s response to the young engineer's question was almost instantaneous, â€œSheâ€™s still on the ship Trip, we couldn't beam her over in time. They have her.â€

Tripâ€™s stomach tied itself up in knots, he felt as if his worse nightmare was coming true. â€œWhy arenâ€™t we following them?â€ he asked.

â€œOur engines were damaged in the fire fight, weâ€™re trying to fix them. What the hell happened over there Trip?â€ asked Archer.

Trip didnâ€˜t speak, he didnâ€™t think he could if he wanted to anyway. As soon as he heard that Enterprise wasnâ€™t following he had shut off. He needed to go, go and help fix the engines. Do anything to help. Every second he was standing about doing nothing, Tâ€™pol was with her captors, having god knows what done to her. Trip didnâ€™t say anything, instead he started jogging down the corridors leading to engineering. Sovek moved over to the com panel and was left to deal with the Captain.

â€œAs soon as we were transported over we were shot with some sort of stun weapon.â€ Sovek began â€œWe awoke in a darkened room, soon after Tâ€™pol was taken. Our captors were not Tellarite, merely posing as them.â€

Sovek hated that he hadnâ€™t done something. What kind of father lets his own daughter get taken? he demanded of himself. Even though their captors were armed he could have at least tried. He continued to relate the events that had happened.

â€œThe next thing we were aware of was the ship being attacked, and then we were transported back to Enterpriseâ€¦. I would like to offer my assistance in finding Tâ€™pol, captain.â€ He finished.

â€œWe could use your help.â€ the Captain admitted â€œAm I right to assume that Trip is down in engineering?â€ Archer asked already knowing the answer.

â€œYou are indeed correct.â€

* * *

As soon as Trip entered Engineering he found Lieutenant Hess issuing orders. He moved over to her. â€œWhereâ€™s Kelby?â€ he inquired. Even with the recent problems he had had with Commander Kelby he still considered him to be a talented engineer and a good person. They had got passed recent events - mainly Tripâ€™s transfer and the incident with the Orionâ€™s and had fallen back into their normal, friendly routine.   
â€œHeâ€™s in sickbay sir, Daniel saved my life.â€ she answered referring to Commander Kelby.

â€œThe console by me exploded, he pushed me out of the way, but was injured himself.â€ She explained, her voice slightly quieter as she flashed back to what had happened.

She had turned around after hearing an ear splitting bang, she saw him lying there, a small trickle of crimson liquid running down his face. He had risked his life to save her, as she reached down to check his pulse she didnâ€™t think she had ever been so terrified of anything in her life. Praying to god she soon found a weak pulse and within minutes he was getting treatment in sickbay. She hadnâ€™t been able to see him, the repairs came first. It surprised her, and if she had to admit it scared her just how much she wanted to throw down her tools and run to sickbay to check on him.

â€œHow is he?â€ Trip asked worried, even though Tâ€™polâ€™s abduction was his main concern he wasnâ€™t about to ignore other peopleâ€™s welfare. He knew Hess well and her face displayed the emotions which he was feeling inside - worry, despair, sadness. There was a popular betting pool aboard Enterprise, something which made the sometimes boring missions slightly more interesting. Anna Hess and Daniel Kelby were the other 'couple' aboard the ship who were a favourite for Enterprise's betting pool. He and T'pol apparently still remained its favourite but apparently there were quite some good odds on his second and third in command getting together.

It was true that Hess and Kelby didn't meet eye to eye all the time, hell sometimes they even gave him and Tâ€™pol a run for their money argumentâ€™s wise, but that was what gave them away, they argued as passionately as he and T'pol and Trip knew more than anyone else knew what that meant. Months before he had even heard of a Xindi he and T'pol had gotten into a 'disagreement' over something, halfway through their 'conversation' he had realised that it was movie night, but surprisingly he didn't care, he was having more fun just arguing with the science officer than he would have had if he attended the movie! He was falling for the Vulcan, plain and simple. Tripâ€™s chest tightened at the thought of the young Vulcan. His heart throbbed for his kidnapped mate. He should have done more to stop them from taking her. He should have fought them harder.

â€œPhlox said that he should recover.â€ Hess stated, relief tinged her voice.

Trip looked over to her and nodded. â€œWhatâ€™s our status?â€ he asked getting back to the point.

For the next few minutes he was brought up to speed on Enterpriseâ€™s damage. It turned out the engine had been hit worse than expected. Several relay junctions had been fried, their circuits becoming fused together. A problem with the warp reactor was preventing a stable warp field from establishing and their main plasma junction had been ruined.

Enterprise had suffered far worse before, however all of these jobs would mean Enterprise would only be able to travel at impulse for the next four days. By that time any trace of the Tellarite vessel would have been lost and with it any chance of finding Tâ€™pol.

Trip had hoped a lot of the damage could have been easily repaired, luck unfortunately was not on his side today though. Trip started working immediately, if anyone could fix Enterpriseâ€™s engines in record time it was her chief engineer. His thoughts strayed briefly to Tâ€™pol. Was she safe? How was she being treated?â€¦.Was she even still alive? Trip stopped his train of thought immediately. His work needed his full attention, speculation wouldnâ€™t get him anywhere. He turned back to his work, and began to repair the ship.

* * *

The first thing she became aware of was pain. Pain was surging through her body and overwhelming her senses. Tâ€™pol opened her eyes and squinted, she attempted to assess where she was, wherever it was it was dark, dank and cold. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, she couldnâ€™t make anything out. She moved slightly and waves of nausea struck her. She touched her shoulder where she had been shot, she felt a sticky substance on her clothing- blood.   
She gasped as pain once again hit her. This time she softly touched her face, it felt as if her nose was broken, she could taste blood.

She slowly stood, the pain became more severe. Taking a calming breath she moved gradually around the room. She used her uninjured arm to feel out for any objects, the room was bare. She walked over to one of the walls and sank to the floor, cradling her injured arm. Tâ€™pol had come to the logical conclusion that her efforts had more than likely worked, Enterprise was safe. She was unsure whether Trip or her father had been beamed to safety though.

She closed her eyes and tried to reach Trip with their bond, she couldnâ€™t sense him. This, she came to the conclusion was because they had been beamed off and were now too far away for the bond to work in her weakened state. She had to believe her father and Trip were safe and that they would come for her. A small part of her also reasoned that she couldnâ€™t sense her mate because there was nothing to sense, she refused to accept this as the truth.

She continued to sit, staring into the darkness for several hours. She had found out there was no way to escape from the cell she was currently being kept in. She had to rely on Enterprise for a rescue. Tâ€™pol hugged her shivering form, the room was freezing and every time she shook from the cold she aggravated her injuries. She had been considering what would be done to her now. She would have no doubt have angered her captors with her previous actions, would she be punished for it? Would they want information from her? Tâ€™pol had been tortured for information before, it was not an experience she wanted to repeat.

â€˜â€¦just as we were predicting.â€™ the words she had heard from the Romulan â€˜Vulcanâ€™ echoed through her mind. She had heard them just before she had passed out, she hadnâ€™t had time to dwell on what it meant then, but now she did. What had they predicted? Was her capture all part of some plan?

The door to her cell opened interrupting her thoughts, light streamed in, a large, intimidating figure stood in the door way, he strode in an air of confidence about him. Tâ€™pol looked up at his features. It was the Romulan she had met earlier, he still had that arrogant, conniving smile plastered upon his face.

â€œYou have caused me many problems Vulcan.â€ He spoke, Tâ€™pol didnâ€™t seemed phased by this revelation and he moved on.

â€œMy name is Telak , I will be dealing with you from now on.â€ he slightly smirked. His name triggered a sense of dÃ©jÃ  vu in Tâ€™pol. She had heard that name beforeâ€¦. but where?

â€œHave no doubt that you will face consequences for your actions. It will be in your interests to co-operate fully.â€ He warned.

Tâ€™pol raised an eyebrow. â€œAnd if I do not cooperate?â€. The Romulan - Telak turned on his heel, he walked towards the doorway and reached down into his pocket, he threw an object into her cell- a silver sphere, which landed right beside her.

â€œYou will help us, of that have no doubt.â€ A hiss escaped the sphere and a misty white gas escaped into her room, the door banged shut. She started coughing, the gas entering her lungs, she attempted to crawl away from it but it was no good. She collapsed once more on the hard floor.

* * *

Tâ€™pol regained consciousness, aware that she was lying on what felt like an uncomfortable bed. She wasnâ€™t sure how long she had been out for this time. She attempted to move but it felt as if she was restrained, she pulled at one of her arms but it was trapped in place. She tried to move her feet they were restrained too. She opened her eyes but was only met with a dim haze, she looked around. She could just about make out a few misty shapes surrounding her, one she thought could be a figure, standing a few metre from her. She blinked to clear her vision but it didnâ€™t work, something had happened to her eyes. She couldnâ€™t see!   
One of the hazy shapes was moving towards her, he stopped at the side of her.

â€œAre you ready to comply now Vulcan?â€ He spat. Tâ€™pol looked up at him, she couldnâ€™t make any of his features out, but she recognised his voice. It was Telak, the Romulan from earlier.

â€œ Were my companions transported off the Tellarite Vessel?â€ she questioned, even with her lack of eyesight she was still more concerned about the two than about herself.

She didnâ€™t receive an answer instead she was back handed across the face

â€œYou will answer my questions Vulcan, not the other way around.â€

â€œAs I told you earlier unless you want to come to more harm you will tell me exactly what I need to know.â€ he continued, and Tâ€™pol could tell from the harshness his voice held that he was telling the truth. Tâ€™pol didnâ€™t respond. Instead she listened to her surroundings, her superior hearing picking up the hum of the warp engines. They soundedâ€¦.. Different.

Tâ€™pol could identify several ships from the sound their engines made, Tellarite included. This was defiantly not a Tellarite ship. â€˜They must have transferred to a new ship when I was unconscious.â€™ she assumed. She knew that her chances of being rescued had just severely decreased. She wouldnâ€™t lose hope though, Enterprise would find her, she had to believe that.

* * *

Back aboard Enterprise Trip had been practically working for three straight days, he hadnâ€™t stopped for more than a minute for food and had been relying on coffee to stay awake. He knew if he went to Phlox to get a stimulant he would be given a lecture about getting rest and then ordered to sleep for hours. He needed all available time which he could be using to be fixing the engines, he would sleep when Tâ€™pol was safe. The time he had put in had paid off though. Engineering was preparing to fire up the engines, they would have warp five within the hour.   
Sovek had come back down to engineering to offer assistance. He couldnâ€™t believe how much he had misinterpreted the Commanders actions previously. It was obvious how much he cared for Tâ€™pol, he was practically killing himself getting the engines back in shape solely to save her. The Captain was aware of his efforts and Sovek believed he had chosen to ignore it. Perhaps he knew attempting to stop the commander was a lost cause, or perhaps he wanted to get Tâ€™pol back just as much. The Captain also had seemed very concerned about Tâ€™pol, as was everyone else aboard the ship. It appeared his daughter had had quite an impact on this crew. He only prayed that they would see her again.

The hum of Enterpriseâ€™s engines sounded throughout engineering, the warp core sprung to life and within minutes they were on the trail of the Tellarite vessel. Enterprise had been in contact with the Tellarite government and had been informed by them that the ship had been missing for over three years, its crew lost. An investigation had apparently been carried out but no information had been gathered.

All the crew on Enterprise were hoping that their missing officer would soon be found. It had been predicted that Enterprise would catch up to the Rogue Vessel within three days, those three days Trip had decided were going to be the longest three days of his life.

* * *

Tâ€™pol was thrown roughly back into her cell. The confrontation she had had days ago had been the first of many. Her initial assumptions had been correct, they wanted information, plain and simple. They had asked her many questions. â€˜How many vessels did Vulcan have?â€™ â€˜What were the most vulnerable positionâ€™s on an Earth ship?â€™ to name a few. She had refused to tell them anything, she had found they didnâ€™t react well to her silence. Several new injuries on her face and arms could testify to that. She had overheard her captors talking, it appeared a slight beating was going to be the least of her worries soonâ€¦..


End file.
